Landlord

BTL DSCR Calculator

Calculate Debt Service Coverage Ratio and Interest Coverage Ratio for BTL mortgages. Check if your rental income meets lender requirements for buy-to-let mortgages.

AI-Powered
Free to use

Property & Loan Details

Rental Income

Borrower Details

Fails Lender Stress Test

ICR at 5.5%: 0.0% | Required: 145.0%

Options to pass:

  • • Reduce loan to £0
  • • Increase rent to £0/month
  • • Add larger deposit (£0 more)

Common Lender Requirements

Borrower TypeICRStress RateNotes
Standard BTL (Basic Rate)125%5.5%Basic rate taxpayers, limited companies
Standard BTL (Higher Rate)145%5.5%Higher/additional rate taxpayers
Portfolio Landlord (4+ props)145%5.5%Landlords with 4+ mortgaged properties
HMO/MUFB145%5.5%HMOs and Multi-Unit Freehold Blocks
Holiday Let145%5.5%Furnished Holiday Lets

Requirements vary by lender. Some lenders may use different stress rates or ICR calculations.

Coverage Ratios

ICR at Pay Rate

0.0%

At 5.5% rate

ICR at Stress Rate

0.0%

At 5.5% stress rate

DSCR

0.00

Net rent / debt service

Rent Multiple

0.00x

Rent ÷ interest payment

Loan Summary

LTV

0.0%

Annual Rent

£0

Monthly Interest (Pay Rate)

£0

At 5.5%

Monthly Interest (Stressed)

£0

At 5.5%

Maximum Borrowing

Max Loan at ICR

£0

At 145% ICR

Headroom

£0

Loading...
AI RECOMMENDATION
BTL DSCR/ICR Analysis
Ready
Live

Enter your property details above to see AI-powered analysis and recommendations for your BTL DSCR/ICR calculation.

Confidence85%

About the BTL DSCR Calculator

What it does and how it helps you

The BTL DSCR Calculator helps UK landlords calculate Debt Service Coverage Ratio and Interest Coverage Ratio for buy-to-let mortgages. These metrics are critical for securing BTL finance, as lenders use them to assess whether rental income adequately covers mortgage payments. Our calculator shows you if your rental income meets lender affordability requirements.

Calculate ICR at both actual and stress test rates
Determine maximum borrowing based on rental income
See break-even rental requirements for different loan amounts
Compare requirements for personal vs limited company ownership

How It Works

Understanding the calculation method

The DSCR and ICR calculations assess mortgage affordability for BTL properties: **Interest Coverage Ratio (ICR)**: ICR = (Annual Rent ÷ Annual Interest) × 100. Most UK BTL lenders require an ICR of 125-145% calculated at a stress test rate (typically 5.5%). This means your rent must be 125-145% of the interest payment at the stressed rate. **Debt Service Coverage Ratio (DSCR)**: DSCR = Net Operating Income ÷ Annual Debt Service. A DSCR above 1.25 indicates healthy cashflow with comfortable margin for unexpected costs. Lower DSCRs may struggle to secure finance or refinance. The calculator applies different ICR requirements based on your tax status: 125% for basic rate taxpayers and limited companies, 145% for higher and additional rate taxpayers due to Section 24 restrictions.

When to use this calculator

Use this calculator when applying for BTL mortgages, remortgaging, or assessing whether a rental property meets lender requirements. It's essential for understanding if your rental income passes lender stress tests before making an offer or approaching lenders.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about this calculator

Most UK BTL lenders require an ICR of 125% for basic rate taxpayers and limited companies, or 145% for higher/additional rate taxpayers. Portfolio landlords (4+ mortgaged properties) typically need 145% regardless of tax status. The ICR is calculated using a stress test rate (usually 5.5%) rather than your actual mortgage rate.
A DSCR of 1.25 or above is considered good for BTL properties, indicating rent covers debt service by 25% or more. DSCRs between 1.0-1.25 are marginal and may struggle to secure competitive finance. Below 1.0 means the property cannot cover its own mortgage from rental income.
Lenders stress test BTL mortgages at rates typically 1-2% above current rates (usually 5.5%) to ensure you can still afford the mortgage if interest rates rise. This protects both you and the lender against rate increases. Even if your actual rate is 4%, the lender will assess affordability at 5.5%.
Yes. Section 24 restricts mortgage interest tax relief for personal landlords to 20%, pushing many into higher tax bands. This is why higher rate taxpayers face a 145% ICR requirement compared to 125% for basic rate taxpayers and limited companies, who aren't affected by Section 24.
You have several options: reduce your loan amount to lower the interest payment, increase the deposit, find a higher rental property, or consider purchasing through a limited company which typically has a lower 125% ICR requirement. Some specialist lenders may also have more flexible criteria.

Related Property Terms

BTL DSCR calculatorInterest Coverage RatioBuy-to-let affordabilityBTL mortgage stress testICR requirements UKRental income calculatorBTL lender requirementsSection 24 impactPortfolio landlord ICRLimited company BTL